Professor Dieter Wolke
Dieter Wolke’s research focuses on
- developmental pathways leading to developmental psychopathology
- social and emotional development; especially school and sibling bullying;
(Using IT to tackle Bullying - iCast) - the development of biological at risk children (very preterm children)
- infant regulatory problems (crying, feeding, sleeping) and parenting
Graduate Student Supervision
I would welcome enquiries from prospective postgraduate students interested in conducting research into any aspect of research into lifespan approaches in understanding the influences of biological or social factors on the development of psychopathology or health.
Current Media Coverage
Babies born to stressed mothers more likely to be bullied at school
Serious cases of cyberbullying
New research suggests that more than half of all children are bullied by their siblings
Population-based cohort study of the effects of gestational age at birth on health outcomes at three and five years of age.
Article: Boyle, E. M., Poulsen, G., Field, D. J., Kurinczuk, J. J., Wolke, D., Alfirevic, Z., & Quigley, M. A. (2012). Effects of gestational age at birth on health outcomes at 3 and 5 years of age: population based cohort study. BMJ, 344. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e896
Infants with persistent crying/sleeping/feeding problems more likely to have behaviour problems in childhood
Children bullied at school at high risk of developing psychotic symptoms
Insidermedicine (video)
American Public Radio The Takeaway Show (with podcast)
Girls twice as likely as boys to remain victims of bullying
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EPICureThe EPICure Study was established in 1995 to determine the chances of survival and later health status by following up children who were born in the United Kingdom and Ireland at less than 26 weeks gestational age during a 10 month period in that year. It is hoped that the study will not only show survival and rates of disability but also identify factors at birth, which could give an indication as to the long term outcome for the survivors. This group of children have been followed up at 1 year, 2.5 years, 6-8 years, and 10-11 years of age (EPICure 1). A follow-up at 16 years and 19 years including full psychological, respiratory and MRI investigations has been granted by the MRC (Duration: 01.07.2012-30.06.2016). Since 1995, neonatal intensive care has improved and in view of this it was decided to repeat the study to see if this has had any effect on the survival rates and outcomes for surviving children. Therefore, in 2006 another cohort of babies (EPICure 2) born at 26 weeks and less were recruited and these children will be followed up at 2.5 years of age in the same way as the 1995 group. Dieter Wolke is a Co-PI in EPICure1 and Collaborator for EPICure. Co-investigators(for EPICure 1 at 16 and 19 years)
Neil Marlow – Maternal & Fetal Medicine, University College London Sebastien Ourselin – Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London Joan Katherine Morris – Wolfson Institute, Queen Mary, University of London John Hurst – Medicine, University College London Xavier Golay – Institute of Neurology, University College London Samantha Johnson – Health Sciences, University of Leicester Funding
This project is currently funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC)
Related Publications
Many papers have already been published from the EPICure 1 data and can be found on the EPICure website. There are still more publications being prepared from the EPICure 1, and the EPICure 2 neonatal data is currently being worked on for publication. But a selection of related publications are below: Marlow, N., Wolke, D., Bracewell, M. A., & Samara, M. (2005). Neurologic and developmental disability at 6 years of age after extremely preterm birth. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(1), 9-19. Samara, M., Marlow, N., Wolke, D., & for the, E. S. G. (2008). Pervasive Behavior Problems at 6 Years of Age in a Total-Population Sample of Children Born at <=25 Weeks of Gestation. Pediatrics, 122(3), 562-573. Wolke, D., Samara, M., Bracewell, M., & Marlow, N. (2008). Specific Language Difficulties and School Achievement in Children Born at 25 Weeks of Gestation or Less. The Journal of Pediatrics, 152(2), 256-262.e251. Bracewell, M. A., Hennessy, E. M., Wolke, D., & Marlow, N. (2008). The EPICure study: growth and blood pressure at 6 years of age following extremely preterm birth. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., 93(2), F108-114. Hennessy, E. M., Bracewell, M. A., Wood, N., Wolke, D., Costeloe, K., Gibson, A., et al. (2008). Respiratory health in pre-school and school age children following extremely preterm birth. Arch Dis Child, 93(12), 1037-1043.
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The Impact of Premature Birth on Maths Achievement and Schooling
Each year in England, around 10,000 children are born very preterm (at less than 32 weeks gestation) and a further 60,000 are born moderately preterm (at 32-36 weeks gestation). The number of preterm births has increased in the last two decades, and more preterm children are surviving due to improved neonatal care. However, the prevalence of cognitive, behavioural and emotional problems in preterm populations has not changed. In particular, children born preterm have been found to experience specific learning problems including difficulties with mathematics, visual-spatial skills, memory and attention. There is still much we do not know about the nature and spectrum of these learning difficulties, their long term consequences, and how to deal with them. In particular, there is controversy about whether moderately preterm children experience similar but milder learning problems. The key aim of this study is to quantify the type and severity of learning difficulties across the whole spectrum of preterm children, and in particular to understand the origins and nature of mathematics problems. It will explore this by analysing data from six large-scale longitudinal studies: the Millennium Cohort Study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), the British Cohort Study, the National Child Development Study, the Bavarian Longitudinal Study (BLS), and the EPICure Study. The researchers will also use these datasets to investigate: What are the long term consequences of maths and other learning difficulties?Would delayed or deferred school entry benefit very preterm children’s school performance?What do teachers and parents know about the outcomes and schooling problems of preterm children? http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/impact-premature-birth-maths-achievement-and-schooling |
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Bavarian Longitudinal Study: Social Adjustment and quality of life after very preterm birth: Risk and resiliency from infancy to adulthoodThe Bavarian Longitudinal Study (BLS) enrolled all children born during a 12 month period in 1985/86 in a geographically defined area in South Bavaria and who were admitted to a children’s hospital within the first 10 days of life (N: 7505 children of 70.6000 births in total). In addition a control group of 936 children was recruited from 6 Maternity hospitals in the same area. All children were assessed during the neonatal period (daily assessment of medical and neurological status and parental interview), at 5 months and 20 months (corrected for prematurity) and 4;8 years of age (BLS I). These follow-up assessments included interviews with the parents and standard assessments of cognitive abilities, behaviour and neurological assessment. In the second phase of the study, the sample was reduced to 1500 children, using a quasi-experimental design including all very preterm (<32 weeks gestation or <1500g at birth) children, a matched control group and larger gestation children according to biological risk and social risk. In the BLS II, the children had a whole day assessment of cognitive and scholastic abilities, behaviour and socio-emotional functioning at 6;3 and 8;5 years of age. The parents had standard clinical interviews about their child’s psychological functioning, own psychiatric problems and family environment and social conditions. Furthermore, mother-child interaction was assessed and video taped for all children. In phase III of the BLS, all very preterm children and their full-term controls were assessed again using questionnaire data filled in by the parents and children themselves (12-13 years of age). |
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Understanding Society
Understanding Society is a major research study designed to provide valuable new evidence about the people of the UK, their lives, experiences, behaviours and beliefs.Initial funding for the project is £15.5 million, which comes from the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills and the ESRC and represents the largest single investment in academic social research resources ever launched in the UK. As a longitudinal study, the initial funding will carry the study though to 2012, however it is envisaged that the project will continue for decades to come. Understanding Society will be the largest study of its type in the world. Policymakers, scientists, researchers, research users and the general public will benefit from the insight this study will provide into the long term effects of social and economic change, the impact policy intervention has on us all, and the challenges facing our society and similar societies around the world. Understanding Society is a key research resource because of its unique, long-term (longitudinal) view on people's lives. The study will take a sample of 40,000 households across the UK and attempt to interview all household members aged ten and over, starting in 2009 and every subsequent year thereafter. Data will be collected from household members on a wide diversity of topics ranging from employment, expenditure and health to experiences of crime, discrimination and racism. Dieter Wolke is a member of the management team and the Co-PI responsible for psychology, biomarkers and health indicators. http://www.understandingsociety.info/ |
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EPICureThe EPICure Study was established in 1995 to determine the chances of survival and later health status by following up children who were born in the United Kingdom and Ireland at less than 26 weeks gestational age during a 10 month period in that year. It is hoped that the study will not only show survival and rates of disability but also identify factors at birth, which could give an indication as to the long term outcome for the survivors. This group of children have been followed up at 1 year, 2.5 years, 6-8 years, and 10-11 years of age (EPICure 1). Since 1995, neonatal intensive care has improved and in view of this it was decided to repeat the study to see if this has had any effect on the survival rates and outcomes for surviving children. Therefore, in 2006 another cohort of babies (EPICure 2) born at 26 weeks and less were recruited and these children will be followed up at 2.5 years of age in the same way as the 1995 group. Dieter Wolke is a Co-PI in EPICure1 and Collaborator for EPICure2
Co-investigatorsNeil Marlow - Professor of Neonatal Medicine, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham Kate Costeloe - Professor of Paediatrics, Homerton Hospital, London Alan Gibson -Consultant Neonatal Paediatrician, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield
FundingThis project is currently funded for 7 years by the Medical Research Council (MRC)
Related PublicationsMany papers have already been published from the EPICure 1 data and some can be found on the EPICure website. There are still more publications being prepared from the EPICure 1, and the EPICure 2 neonatal data is currently being worked on for publication. But a selection of related publications are below: Marlow, N., Wolke, D., Bracewell, M. A., & Samara, M. (2005). Neurologic and developmental disability at 6 years of age after extremely preterm birth. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(1), 9-19. Samara, M., Marlow, N., Wolke, D., & for the, E. S. G. (2008). Pervasive Behavior Problems at 6 Years of Age in a Total-Population Sample of Children Born at <=25 Weeks of Gestation. Pediatrics, 122(3), 562-573. Wolke, D., Samara, M., Bracewell, M., & Marlow, N. (2008). Specific Language Difficulties and School Achievement in Children Born at 25 Weeks of Gestation or Less. The Journal of Pediatrics, 152(2), 256-262.e251. Bracewell, M. A., Hennessy, E. M., Wolke, D., & Marlow, N. (2008). The EPICure study: growth and blood pressure at 6 years of age following extremely preterm birth. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., 93(2), F108-114. Hennessy, E. M., Bracewell, M. A., Wood, N., Wolke, D., Costeloe, K., Gibson, A., et al. (2008). Respiratory health in pre-school and school age children following extremely preterm birth. Arch Dis Child, 93(12), 1037-1043.
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The aetiology of psychosis high-risk mental states during adolescence in the ALSPAC cohort (PLIKS)
Psychotic symptoms are more common in the population than previously thought, and may be associated with functional impairment in a substantial proportion of people. They may also be an early phenotype of schizophrenia, which is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. This project has the potential to deliver important advances in our understanding of the aetiology of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, and to inform the development of primary prevention and early intervention strategies. The content of this work encompasses a number of areas prioritised for research and clinical services (for example the priority for research into early intervention for psychosis in the NHS Plan 2000), and can inform future translational research. Furthermore, as well as addressing a number of important research questions that can be fulfilled within the duration of this proposal, this project will provide an essential outcome for exploiting the ALSPAC resource that already exists, and provide a crucial element for future studies of adult-onset psychotic disorders within ALSPAC.
Co-InvestigatorsUniversity of Bristol - Professor Glynn Lewis*; Professor George Davey-Smith; Professor David Gunnell*; Professor Glynn Harrison*; Dr Jon Heron; Professor Tim Peters Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland - Professor Mary Cannon Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College - Professor Anthony David University of Cambridge - Professor Peter Jones University of Manchester – Professor Shon William-Lewis Cardiff University – Dr Stanley Zammitt* *PI Team with D.Wolke (Phase I)
FundingProject Phase I was funded by the Wellcome Trust grant GR072043 MA. Project Phase II is currently funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) for 4 years (starting date 01.09.2008).
Related PublicationsZammit, S., Horwood, J., Thompson, A., Thomas, K., Menezes, P., Gunnel, D., et al. (2008). Investigating if psychosis-like symptoms (PLIKS) are associated with family history of schizophrenia or paternal age in the ALSPAC birth cohort. Schizophrenia Research, 104(1-3), 279-286. Horwood, J., Salvi, G., Thomas, K., Duffy, L., Gunnell, D., Hollis, C., et al. (2008). IQ and non-clinical psychotic symptoms in 12-year-olds: results from the ALSPAC birth cohort. British Journal of Psychiatry, 193(3), 185-191. Schreier, A., Wolke, D., Thomas, K., Horwood, J., Hollis, C., Gunnell, D., et al. (In Press). Prospective study of bullying victimisation in childhood and psychosis-like symptoms in a non-clinical population at 12 years of age Archives of General Psychiatry. Gunnell, D., Thomas, K., Harrison, G., Zammit, S., Lewis, G., Horwood, J., et al. (In Press). The association of measures of fetal and childhood growth with non-clinical psychotic symptoms in 12 year olds: the ALSPAC cohort. British Journal of Psychiatry. Zammitt, S., Odd, D., Horwood, J., Thompson, A., Thomas, K., Menezes, P., et al. (In Press). Investigating if adverse prenatal and perinatal events are associated with non-clinical psychotic symptoms at age 12 in the ALSPAC birth cohort. Psychological Medicine.
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